Christchurch Construction Rebuild H & S Project All Go

The EPMU is playing a central role in a Department of Labour funded health and safety project focusing around the construction rebuild of Canterbury.

The project is funded by the Employment Relations Education (ERE) contestible fund and involves the NZCTU, EPMU, Business New Zealand, major construction companies, Site Safe, the Canterbury Employers Chambers of Commerce and Department of Labour officials.

At this stage a project steering group is working on developing a detailed training and development plan that aims to ensure the highest possible standards of health and safety in the residential, commercial and infrastructure sectors during the rebuild, with a particular focus on sub contracting companies.

"The rebuild presents some enormous challenges, particularly in relation to ensuring smaller contractors are able to effectively identify and manage hazards on site," says Ross Teppett, EPMU national education officer and current chair of the project steering group. "The EPMU's primary focus will be on getting good integrated training and support systems in place and having effective health and safety representatives playing a critical role in this."

Currently, the ERE funding for this initiative runs through to 30 June next year. However, the parties making up the steering group are keen to ensure the project is successful and they hope to be able to make further applications to the ERE contestible fund beyond next year to ensure its viability and sustainability. This initiative has been strongly supported by Minister of Labour, Kate Wilkinson.